Paper bag with mouth closure lock



June 28, 1955 G. w. POPPE' PAPER BAG WITH. MOUTH CLOSURE LOCK Filed April 29, 1952 IN V EN TOR. 650/?05 W. PoPPE ATTORNEYS.

PAPER BAG WlTH MOUTH CLOSURE LOCK George W. Poppe, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Equitable Paper Bag Co fine, Long island City, N. Y., a cor-- poration of New York Application April 29, 1952, Serial No. 284,963

2 Claims. (Q1. 229-68) This invention relates to a paper bag having a mouth or flap lock.

One of the objects is to provide a paper bag which may be made substantially as inexpensively as paper bags of ordinary construction but having a mouth or flap lock which may be firmly fastened even by persons unfamiliar with the operation of the lock. Another object is to provide a paper bag mouth or flap lock which is more secure than is usual.

A specific example of a paper bag incorporating the principles of the invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a back View of the bag;

Fig. 2 is a front view showing the top portion only;

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 excepting that it shows the fiap of the bag and the lock prior to folding of the flap and fastening of the lock;

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 44 in Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lock construction.

As shown by the drawings this illustrative example has opposed front and back walls 1 and 2 respectively, these Walls normally being positioned flatly together at their top portions so as to define a fiat bag mouth. A flap 3 extends upwardly from the back wall 2 and is foldable downwardly flatly over the front wall 1 to close the mouth of the bag.

The walls and flap are severed to define tongues 4 and 5 in the walls and fiap respectively which interregister when the flap is folded as described. These tongues have fold lines 6 which with the tongues define trapezoidal tongues tapering away from the fold lines 6. All of the tongues point in the same direction when the flap is not folded, as shown by Fig. 3, and they point oppositely when the flap is folded closed with the tongues interregistered. The tongues are similarly shaped although oppositely pointed when ready for use.

The tongues 4 and 5 define wall openings when folded and the wall tongue 4 and the flap tongue 5 respectively are oppositely swingable through these respective openings. The back walls and flap are each severed partly along the fold lines 6 of the respective tongues which form the base ends of the trapezoidal tongue shapes, whereby to provide the respective tongues with shouldered bases.

The back wall 2 has a moderately wide seam 7 formed by overlapped portions of the Wall 2. These overlapped portions are secured together by laterally spaced lines of adhesive 8 extending longitudinally of the seam adjacent to the end edges of the overlapped wall portions. The bottom of the bag may follow any type of construction providing a closed bottom.

As shown by the drawings, the Wall tongue 4 on the back of the bag and the tongue 5 in the flap 3 are both out from and within the confines of the seam 7 where there is a double thickness of paper. Thus these tongues are provided with extra stiffness and strength.

The bag starts out with the shape shown by Fig. 3

atent lee with its mouth open and ready to receive merchandise or the like. When loaded the flap 3 is folded closed as described thus bringing the tongues 4 and 5 into registration with each other. Now without paying any attention to any particular sequence of operation the tongues are pushed in either direction so that the pushed tongue displaces those behind it to form the opening and passes through the opening with its shouldered bases snapping behind and locking with the narrower portion of the tapered wall opening. Then by pushing the balance of the tongue in the other direction they pass through the opening in the bag walls and flap so that their shouldered bases automatically snap behind the corresponding narrower portion of the first opening. it is immaterial which one of the tongues or group of tongues is pushed first in effecting this locking. In any case the final locking effect is secure and firm.

Since the tongues may be severed by an appropriate rotary die cutter when making the bags on the usual automatic bag machine, there is no substantial increase in the cost of the bags.

I claim:

1. A bag having opposed walls defining a mouth and a flap extending from one of the walls and foldable downwardly to close the mouth, the walls and flap being severed to define tongues which interregister when the flap is folded and which are foldable to define openings through which the tongues pass when folded, the tongues pointing in the same direction when the flap is not folded and in opposite directions when the flap is folded, each tongue having a fold line and a shoulder at each end thereof at the fold line and tapering away from the base and fold line, the length of the fold line of each tongue being substantially the width of the free end of the other tongue so that the shouldered bases snap behind the flap and walls in each instance when the tongues are passed through said openings respectively in opposite directions.

2. A paper bag having opposed walls positionable flatly together to define a flat bag mouth and a flap extending upwardly from one of the walls and foldable downwardly flatly over the other wall to close the mouth, the walls and flap being severed to define tongues which interregister when the flap is folded and having fold lines which with the tongues define trapezoidal tongues tapering away from the fold lines, the tongues all pointing in the same direction when the flap is not folded and pointing oppositely when the flap is folded with the tongues interregistered, the tongues defining wall openings when folded and the wall tongues and the flap tongue respectively being oppositely swingable through the respective openings, the walls and flap each being severed partially along the fold lines of the respective tongues forming the base ends of the trapezoidal tongues to provide the respective tongues with a shoulder at each end of its fold line, the length of the fold line of each tongue being substantially the width of the free end of the other tongue so that the shouldered bases snap behind the flap and walls in each instance when the tongues are passed through said openings respectively in opposite directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,435,657 Potdevin Nov. 14, 1922 1,466,420 Bunker et al. Aug. 28, 1923 1,629,852 Wolf May 24, 1927 1,973,236 Vierengel Sept. 11, 1934 2,132,669 Wolf Oct. 11, 1938 2,172,555 Wolf Sept. 12, 1939 2,463,302 Orchard Mar. 1, 1949 2,549,931 Reiss Apr. 24, 1951 

